Embedding fonts in PDFs: Will that automatically allow unicode?

[Bobtheduck]

I'm in process of making a "Learn Hiragana" book for my great nephew as part of a comprehensive (or, um, as comprehensive as I can get for my low level, anyhow) lesson plan to teach my great nephew Japanese (when he needs to get more to what my level is now, he'll hopefully be way past that, and I'll get a LOT of help from Native speakers etc)

So I was going to publish it with Lulu and send it to him, along with a DVD full of videos for vocabulary words, kana, and maybe even some brush work... if I can learn how to do that in time (haahaha... maybe next year) In any case, the video part is... a whole other issue (not sure how Lulu handles video) but I'd love to know about how they handle unicode, and specifically Japanese characters... Can Lulu print them? I looked on Lulu, and not only do they not say anything about it, they make it perfectly clear that they don't want you asking by saying "You can ask about this stuff, nothing else... period"

If I embed the fonts (Which OpenOffice does ANYHOW when exporting PDF files) will that automatically make the Japanese script work?

[EricTheFred]

I have had iffy results with embedded fonts in PDF. For consistent results, I would suggest using fonts from Adobe. (Link here)

[Bobtheduck]

DOwnloading those now. Have you published with Lulu using those fonts? Or any PoD service at all?

[EricTheFred]

Not Lulu, and I haven't done PoD using Asian fonts, but I (or actually, the guy that actually does it. I'm just lowly editorial staff on the project) have used PDF to PoD successfully.

My experience with East Asian fonts and PDF involved intracompany stuff at work, and was just distributing to readers on PC screens.